The Mask He Wore
by mugglewaffles
Summary: What if Tom riddle once had a friend, by the name Clarrisa. Why has no one heard of this? Because in her third year the girl went missing. Now, 50 years, later, Harry & Ginny find her in the CoS, looking deceivingly dead. Can she handle this new world? R& Please :
1. Clarissa?

**Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter. Never have, never will.**

**Hi ppl this is my new (and amazing) story!!! And just so y'all know this is my world and I can change anything to the way I want it. So say I change the time line a bit, and its okay because I'm the author. (but I'm not really changing anything so don't worry!) I know the beginning isn't to good but I need to explain everything before I can get to the main story so pls stick with it.**

**If you have any problems understanding anything just ask and i'll explain it!! Pls review!!**

Chapter one- Clarissa?

Harry looked up at Ginny who was still staring at the place were his wound had been moments ago.

"Its going to be okay Ginny. Everything is going to okay." He picked up the sword and pushed himself up, still feeling a bit weak from the poison. After a moment decidedly scooped up the diary. Helping ginny up he made toward the way he had come. After a few minutes Ginny timidly spoke up.

"Harry are you sure you know where your going?"

"Yes. Somewhat." He looked around, all the tunnels looked alike! He tried to remember which way he came. "Lets go this way." He took her hand and led them right. They walked down the tunnel in silence until he spotted something at the end of the hall. It looked like a door, but he hadn't come through any doors to get here. They stopped in front of it and he took a step forward reaching for the handle.

"Harry don't!" Ginny grabbed his other arm. "Lets just get back to Ron and out of here." He looked from the door to her.

"It might be another way out. It wont hurt to open it." She didn't argue but she didn't let go of his arm either. He held his breathe as he held his wand in one hand and with the other pushed the silver handle down. Surprisingly, it opened. He pushed Ginny back a few steps and, now raising his wand without restraint, he opened the door the rest of the way. Inside was a room all empty except an old bed with yellowing sheets. But what really caught his eye was the girl on the bed. She was pale, like Ginny had been, but her lips were still red and alive looking. He walked into the room cautiously getting closer to the girl. Her hair was a dark shade of brown and looked as if it needed badly to be washed.

"Is she alive?" Ginny asked from the door way. He moved her hair out of the way and put his fingers to her neck, feeling for a pulse.

"I don't know. I can't feel her pulse...but she looks alive." He noticed she was wearing Gryffindor school robes. "Gryffindor? Ginny do you recognize her?" Ginny leaned forward but shook her head.

"Harry lets go! We can tell the teachers about her then and they can come back to get her, lets just get out of here." Harry saw her pleading eyes and nodded. He walked back over to her, but before he closed the door he gave one last look at the unknown girl in the bed and felt a bit of guilt for leaving her alone in such depressing place, even if he wasn't sure if she was alive.

Harry smiled at Dobby, who was hugging his sock. He'd done the right thing setting Dobby free. He'd saved two people today it......The Girl! Harry bolted down the hall leaving a stunned Dobby behind. He ran back to the the statues and said the password. It leaped aside and he ran straight to the door. Knocking on it he took a few deep breathes to slow his heart back down.

"Come in." He opened the large door and saw Snape was also in the room, but ignored him and went to Dumbledore. "Harry is somethi-"

"Professor I......Forgot to tell you.......We found a girl....in the chamber." He said between breaths.

"Slow down." Harry nodded and took a few more deep breathes.

"While Ginny and I were going back we went the wrong way and found this room. In it was this girl on a bed." Dumbledore nodded listening intently. "She looked alive but when I checked she didn't have a pulse, well at least I didn't feel one. She had brown hair and had on Gryffindor robes but I didn't recognize her. We decided to tell you when we-" Dumbledore stood up abruptly eyes wide.

"It couldn't be...." He whispered under his breath before looking harry in the eyes. "Harry can you take us there?" He nodded.

"I think so, sir?" But he hadn't waited for Harry's response he was already behind him holding the door open. Harry hurried out the door with Snape and Dumbledore on his heels. In minutes they were in the tunnels under the school. Harry was practically jogging back through the place he'd wished never to be again. Then they came to the door.

"In there." Dumbledore nodded and wasted no time at all in opening the door it was after opening the door that he stopped.

He stared at the bed and his face seemed to fall. "Clarissa," He walked slowly over to the girl putting his hand on the girls face.

"You said she didn't have a pulse?" Harry nodded, once again his eyes were drawn to her face.

"I couldn't find one. But she still looks alive sir. If she's really dead she couldn't have died that long ago, but I don't recognize her." He felt suddenly guilty. Had she disappeared and no one noticed? Had he seen her before and never talked to her? He wished suddenly that he did know her.

"No I don't think she's dead." Harry looked at the headmaster in disbelieve.

"But sir-"

"This girl went missing 50 years ago, harry." 50 years?

"But she doesn't look..."

"That old? That dead? She shouldn't be." He pushed the light sheets off of her body. "Severus doesn't this resemble the drought of living death?"

"In a way I suppose but it wouldn't be possible for the potion to last this long. And even if it did there would be side effects."

"What if he found a way to work around it? Maybe he created a new version or perhaps cast a spell after?" Snape looked down at the girl.

"Perhaps." For a moment everyone was silent, all staring at 'Clarissa'. "But what ever it is lets get her up to the hospital wing and deal with it there." Dumbledore nodded and took out his wand, giving it a slight wave the girls body floated above the bed and moved forward.

"Come on harry, no doubt your anxious to get out of here." He just nodded and followed behind his two professors. As they reached the girls bathroom Dumbledore turned to the two of them.

"Severus could you please go and get some Wiggenweld Potion? And harry you can go back to your house, your probably exhausted after the day you've had." Now that he'd mentioned it harry felt the days strain hit him all at once and he yawned.

"'night Professor." Dumbledore watched as both the boys left and looked down at the floating girl, taking a deep breath, he then continued his trip to the hospital wing.

"Poppy," He yelled as he held the doors open to let Clarissa threw. Sure enough Poppy bustled out of her office.

"Albus what is it?" She caught sight of the floating Clarissa and her hand went to her mouth. The woman always did have a good memory. "Is that...?"

"Yes, its Clarissa." Poppy motioned to the closest bed and fumbled for her wand.

"Hows is this possible she's been missing for 50 years. Albus she still looks the same as she did when she-" Her voice faded as snape entered the room with several bottles. Setting them down on the nightstand next to the bed he handed Dumbledore the green one. Dumbledore took it and with his free hand gently lifted Clarissa's head. Pressing the bottle to her lips he poured a bit in to her mouth, then a bit more. Laying her head back on the pillow they waited. After a minute poppy put her hand on his arm.

"Albus, she may not-" She was interrupted by a loud gasp followed by vicious coughing. The three adults turned to the girl who no longer seemed dead. Poppy hurriedly helped her sit up gave her some water. After a few moments she stopped coughing and had regained her breath. She now looked around the room, and recognizing it, she examined the people who were huddled around her.

She opened her mouth, then closing it, cleared her throat and in a hoarse dry voice she spoke.

"Not to be rude but who are you? And why am I in the Hospital wing?" All the adults seemed shocked by her question. Well maybe not the question, it probably had more to do with the fact that she A) Actually spoke after fifty years in a coma like state. B) Didn't seem to know what had happened to her.

"Clarissa," Dumbledore almost asked.

"Clary." She said firmly.

"Yes, Clary, Do you remember what happened to you?" She frowned, annoyed.

"I might, if you tell me what happened."

"Yes, well, lets get through introductions first. You may not recognize me now but I am Albus Dumbledore." She opened her mouth but he put his hand up and continued. "The woman next to you is Madame Poppy Pomphrey, and finally the man next to me is Severus Snape." She waited a moment to make sure he was done talking before she started ranting.  
"No, that's not possible because I know both Dumbledore and Madame Pomphrey and there much-"

"Younger?" She nodded suddenly glaring. "Yes well you've been under a potion for the last fifty years." Both Poppy and snape stared at the old man both thinking a version of '_Way to brake it lightly.' _

"That's a joke right? I mean even if it was true they would have found me before 50 years. I mean come on I don't feel fifty years old nor do I look it! And who would go through all the trouble to give me a potion to make sleep that long!?" Dumbledore's face seemed old and sad.

"I'm afraid Tom did it." Snapes eyes widened. _Voldemort had done it? Sure she was in the chamber but why hadn't he killed her? They had known each other?'_

"So this is a joke? Tom put you up to it right? I'll kill him when I see him. He probably thought it would be funny because we just made up." She said laughing but it sounded more desperate than funny.

"This is not a joke." Snape finally said, seeing Dumbledore felt terrible. "The Tom you once knew is gone. He is an evil-"

"Don't say that!! He's my friend! He wouldn't do this! We'd just made up we were going to go to Hogsmeade the next weekend. And he was going to visit my house in the summer and-and-" She had angry tears streaming down her face now. She glared at snape and Dumbledore refusing to believe them.

"Both of you should leave now. She just woke up and there is no need to upset her anymore." Poppy's voice was stern but she gently touched Clarys arm and tried to comfort her.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled but she didn't jerk away. Instead she stopped crying suddenly. And her face became panicked. "I-I can't move. I can't move?" She looked at Dumbledore. "Why can't I move?"

She started panicking causing her to breathe quicker. Her body made small jerks of movement randomly, her failing attempts to move some part any part of her body.

Dumbledore firmly held her shoulders to the bed and looked her in the eye. "Clarissa you need to calm down. Clary, take deep breaths." She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.

"Professor its a joke right? This isn't real?" She searched his face for any sign that she was right. Finding none she let out a small sob.

Dumbledore let go of her and straightened up. "We should be going then. I suppose you still have some petrified students to fix up." It only took a few of his large strides before he was out the door. Snape gave one last look at the crying girl before nodding to poppy and walked off to his own office. Leaving poppy to comfort the distraught clary.

The castle was silent except for the sound of a soul pair of footsteps that echoed through the halls. They continued until they came to the hospital wing. Though it was night and dark the moon shown brightly though the windows illuminating the large room and showing the outline of Albus Dumbledore sitting by one of the beds.

"I thought you might be here. Its late you know." He didn't move but his calming voice resonated through the room.

"I know." She walked over to him. "What made you think I'd be here?"  
"Severus just told me what happened. So it really is her, its amazing she's stayed alive until now." He just nodded. "Albus its not your fault no one could of expected the boy to turn out like that." He stood up and started pacing in a way that, over the years, Minerva had become very familiar with.

"That's just it Minerva, I suspected something. I knew he had used his powers consciously to hurt others, I knew he was a parslemouth, and I had made it my job to watch the boy during his stay at Hogwarts!" He put his head in his hands. "I thought she would be good for him. He'd always been friendless and when I saw the two of them together he almost seemed normal. I had only thought about her safety for a minute before I stopped paying so much attention to him. Then she was gone."

"I remember." She said, keeping her tone neutral.

"I should have thought more about his effect on her, instead of the other way around. Now look were my mistake has gotten her."

"It wasn't your mistake Albus! She chose to be his friend. He chose to do such a thing to the only friend he had. No one could have thought such a thing would happen." He looked at her with sad blue eyes.

"I wonder sometimes if he ever really liked the her. Or if he only liked that she adored him." Both knew what kind of person Tom Riddle had become. But what they didn't was that Clary was awake and she had heard most all of their conversation. It had taken all of her power not to shoat at them. She waited till they both left before letting herself cry again.

The next morning pomphry was bustling around apparently unpetrifying people. From what she got from listening to bits of conversation was that the chamber had been opened again, a boy named harry killed a snake, and that a girl who had been taken was saved. It seemed she'd gone missing when the chamber opened and had been returned when the chamber opened. FIFTY FRIGGIN YEARS LATER!!! She was still having trouble wrapping her head around the whole thing, she half expected some to pop out and tell her it was all a joke, but slowly the realization that it wasn't going to happen was sinking in. Fifty years later meant most every one she knew was old, dead, or thought she was dead. And now on top of all this she was almost paralyzed?! Though Pomphry did say that with some physical therapy she would be back to normal, how long would that take? She felt another wave of depression come over her, but was absolutely determined not to cry, only because she knew she couldn't wipe away her tears. She wanted to leave this bed and make sure that everything she was being told was actually true but she couldn't. So she sat there, looking at the designs on the ceiling, for hours.

**This is only four pages of the seven I have written so far. I thought long and hard of where to slpit it and ended up stteling for this. It may be boring but pls bare with it! I don't know how far I'll go, but I want to go till at least the end of GOF. (cause she'll meet voldie again!! Don don dooooonn!!!) But that can only happen with you reviews, they motivate me!! So I beg-ith you to click the cute little review button!! Any ideas are also greatly appreciated because the will be times when I don't know how she should feel or how to incorporate her into the story with changing every thing!! Thank you for reading and pls review.**


	2. The Mask He Wore

**Authors Note: So here is chapter two! It just kinda goes on so I'm not sure how it is, but I have reread it a few times so thats a plus. If anyone has any comments good or constructive they are very much appreciative. Pls tell me what u think about her personality! Thx!**

**Disclaimer!: I do not own Harry Potter...at all! :D**

Chapter 2- The Mask He Wore

The end of year feast was just beginning and Hermione had finally been un-petrified. The Hagrid walked in,

"Sorry I'm late. The bird that delivered my papers got all lost and confused. Some ruddy bird named Errol." Ron shrunk down in his seat and cast an apologetic look at both Hagrid and Dumbledore, seeing neither were angry the three of them got up and hugged him. The whole room started clapping. Everything and everyone was back where they belonged.

Hagrid was up in his normal spot at the head able when Dumbledore motioned him over. He loudly stood up and stood behind the headmasters chair and Dumbledore whispered something.

"What?" Dumbledore said something else and Hagrid was off in almost a trot down the great hall and out the door. Most of the room stared questioningly after him. Harry though, passingly wondered if this had anything to do with the girl from the chamber.

-Hospital Wing-

Saying Clary was bored was diffidently an understatement. She was so bored that she hated it with a passion, if possible. When she was bored she started thinking and the only thing she could think about was what they said Tom had done.

Why had he done it? Was what Professor said even really true?

Once again tears sprung to her eyes but she blinked them back, she'd cried to much already and was tired of it. Suddenly the door was thrown open. She couldn't see who it was because Poppy had pulled the curtain around her so she wouldn't be bothered. But the heavy footsteps came ever closer and she heard a distant,

"Clary?" She felt her blood run cold and hope bloom in her heart at the same moment. The voice was familiar and for a moment she wished for nothing more then the voice to come over and comfort her tell her it was all just some very cruel joke. But the feeling of overwhelming dread that in fact the voice did sound different and that all her fear would be confirmed. Despite that she called out to it.

"Over here!" Though she wanted to yell it came out more like a whisper. The curtain was drawn back and a mammoth of a man stood there beside her. He had wild matted hair and bread. It didn't look the same as she remembered, yet it did.

"Hagrid? Your Rubeus Hagrid, right?" She half expected him to say no, but he looked at her with sadness.

"Yeh don't remember me?"

"Of course I do, I was just making sure. You look so...different! From what I've heard I look the same."

"I suppose I have grown quite a bit since ya last saw meh." The chuckled a moment and hugged her, before an awkward silence took over.

"Hagrid?"

"Yeh?"

"Dumbledore told me Tom did this to me." She looked him in the eye. "Did he really?" Suddenly she felt all of her worries and distrust came flooding out as looked at her now unknown best friend.

"Is this all real? Am I sixty something and I look thirteen? Have I missed all of the last fifty years? Toms not evil! You know that! He was my friend we played and talked to each other. He taught me about the wizarding world. He was so nice!" A mix of pity of and anger crossed his face, scaring Clary a bit.

"Sorry Clary, but 'e wasn't nice, its 'cause o' him I got expelled. 'Cause o' him a lot o' innocent people died. He changed, though I reckon he was always that way, and it wasn't fer the better."_ Killed people?_

"No, I don't believe you! Go away."

"Clary?"

"GO AWAY!" Tears started running down her cheeks, not because she was sad but because she was frustrated. Because she couldn't leave, hit him, hit something!

"Fine. I'll leave." And he did.

She regretted it, of course, wanted to run and hug him. Tell him not to leave her alone in this new unfamiliar world. But she couldn't, he was already out the door and she was once more left crying and alone in the hospital bed.

-A Day Before School Starts-

Time went by fast surprisingly, she'd been in St. Mungos for almost two months now. She went through physical therapy every day, to gain back the muscle she'd lost, and was given potion that were supposed to help her every day. The first few weeks were torture because in her mind she saw no improvement. But the frustration of not being able to move kept her going and little over a month she was walking. She was ecstatic about that, hell she was excited when she was able to move her arms, but she still got exhausted very easily.

The way she figured it was, get back to normal, than deal with all that she was being told. She pushed everything negative to the back of her mind and concentrated on learning more about this world. (Mostly by watching TV and reading magazines.) It was only when Dumbledore visited that she thought about it, and he visited at least once a week. Admittedly she was happy when he visited because she had someone to talk to. But she also knew he felt immensely guilty and that made her feel guilty and mad.

She pulled her pillow out from under her head and screamed into it. This was to much for a kid to handle. She was thirteen for goodness sake, or at least she was mentally. She was so annoyed being here! All the physical therapy in the world couldn't cure her feeling of being weak and useless.

She heard a knock at the door, as it opened she knew it would either be Dumbledore of one of the nurses. She looked over and saw the bearded man, she'd been right.

"Good afternoon, Clary." He said in his normal cheerful voice.

"Hello professor." She'd never get used to him as the headmaster. How old does that even make him?

"I have talked to the nurses and they say you've made good progress for two months. You said last time that you wanted to go back to school?" She nodded. "And back into your old house I presume?" She nodded. Thinking it rather unnecessary to add the 'old'. She did wish to finish Hogwarts, what else was there for her to do? Maybe go and find Tom if he wasn't in Azkaban. Now that she thought about it no one really was telling her about tom. Only that he did this to her and that he was a terrible man.

"Professor? Um, can I ask you something?" He smiled that grandfatherly smile.

"Go ahead, my dear."

"What happened with Tom? I mean you all tell me Toms done this to me and Hagrids said it was his fault that people are dead. But what happened?" The old mans face fell looking older than she'd seen him look the past weeks.

"Clary, you should understand that people change. Some people aren't always as good as they seem. Tom was one of those people who was brilliant, brave, a model student, and full of charm." She couldn't help but smile, it was just like Tom. She'd so many times thought he was one of the most amazing people she'd met. "But that was just the mask he wore." He paused, looking her in the eye.

"Clary, it was Tom that opened the chamber. After you disappeared a girl turned up dead and we feared the same had happened to you and your body was back in the chamber. After that he seemed to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness. He even fashioned him self a knew name, Voldemort." Clary stared at him wide eyed. She knew he'd put her in the chamber but the thought that he was the ones behind the attacks never occurred to her.

"Now then, back to what I originally came here for. As you know start of term is tomorrow so I've come to take you out. I still have to discharge you but that won't take long." He smiled not as brightly as he had when he first came I but a smile none the less. "So why don't you get ready and your head of house, who has so graciously lent her time, will take you to pick up your things for the year."

"Why can't you sir?"

"I'm afraid that being the headmaster of Hogwarts does involve quite a bit of paper work, but fear not I shall see you later tonight." He left before she could say anything else. She stared at the door for another second, before letting her self fall back on the bed.

"I didn't even ask him if he was alive." She looked at the ceiling and recalled the name Dumbledore had told her. "Voldemort. Sounds french." She sighed and pulled her self up and to the bathroom.

When she opened the door to her room she saw a woman in emerald-green robes sitting in a chair reading a paper. Her face was hidden by a large pointed hat that was cocked to one side.

"Umm, excuse me?" The woman looked up and Clary once again felt the deja vu feeling every time she saw someone she knew. The woman with a very prim expression, square glasses, and black, but graying, hair combed back into a tight bun.

"Minnie?" The woman gave a small smile.

"It's been a while since I've heard that name." She couldn't help what she said next, it was just so shocking.

"You look so old." McGonagall looked taken a back for a moment than smiled.

"Well that wasn't quite how I imagined you'd react, but very understandable."

"Well I mean, its just that- well, you look so old! Not in a bad way! But I mean compared to the last time I saw you."

"Yes well it has been quite a while since then." It was silent for a moment, then she stood up and straitened her robes.

"Well we should be off." Clary was confused.

"Your Gryffindors head of house?" McGonagall smiled proudly.

"For the last thirty years." Clary smiled at the smug look. She'd never been extremely close to Minnie, considering she was three years older than her, but they'd been in the same house and once in a while she would help her with her homework or tell her some hilarious thing that happened during class.

"Now, then lets go." Clary followed silently behind the now grown up minnie and thought things out. Should she act normal? Or treat her like any other adult?

McGonagall stopped at one of the hospitals fireplaces. She turned to Clary and held out a sack full of floo powder.

"Leaky cauldron." Clary nodded and, taking a handful of powder, stepped into the fire place.

"Leaky cauldron." She said and her surroundings blurred and twisted around. As they refocused she had to take a step backwards just to balance herself. But instead of regaining balance she slipped and fell knocking her head against the stone.

"Oww." She held the back of her head and quickly ducked out of the fire place. She saw the bartender, and a few others, smiling at her in amusement. She quickly looked at the fire place hoping Minnie would hurry up so she could get out of here. After a moment she appeared, needless to say with much more grace than Clary had.

"Whats wrong?" She said spotting the hand on the back of her head.

"Nothing." She said, sparing a glare at the fire place.

They made their way into Diagon alley and bought her books, other items needed for school, along with robes and muggle clothes. All they had left now was a new wand.

"You know you are aloud to talk to me." Clary looked up at her confused. "I know this must all be very confusing for you, but just because I'm older doesn't mean you can't talk to me. I'm still me." Clary looked down at the ground and let her words sink in. Then she smiled, still watching her feet.

"Thank you. Remember Hogsmeade weekends? You always looked so pretty when you let your hair down."

"I remember." She didn't look up but she could hear the small smile in her voice. She made her self a promise, she would make up with Hagrid. Sure he was different and he'd said something she didn't like but he was one of the few things she had left from her world, and she wouldn't let him go.

She looked up and spotted Ollivanders sign. She raced to the door and held it open for Minnie. She was breathing heavier than she should have for such a short distance but didn't complain, at least she could move again.

"Mr. Ollivander." A man with white hair appeared from behind a shelf. He looked familiar, albeit older, but he seemed to recognize her instantly. He looked at Minnie questioningly and she just nodded.

"Miss Jane, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again." His voice, though pleasant, gave away his curiosity and surprise.

"Apparently a lot of people didn't." She said pleasantly, though polite.

"Well assuming your not just here for pleasant chatter, why don't we get you a wand." He went off into one of the many rows of selfs full of wands and came back out after a minute with a box.

"This one is as close to your old wand as I have. Willow, 12 inches, unicorn. Just an inch longer than your old one." He handed it to her and she gently took it, the wand felt unfamiliar and awkward in her hand, but none the less she gave it a swish.

"Wingardium Leviosa." A small vase that was on Ollivanders desk suddenly exploded.

"Hmm, I would have thought that a wand close to your last one would be the best choice." He looked at her with a curiosity that made her a bit uncomfortable. He then disappeared and came out with another box.

Holding out the wand he said, "Willow, 11 inches, Dragon heartstring."

I took the wand and waved it at the bits of vase on the ground.

"Reparo." The vase flew back together, as if they were watching the earlier scene on rewind.

"Better, much better. How does it feel." She looked down at the wand, it was a light color wood with designs around the base that looked like they had been painted with stain or something similar, but the unfamiliar feeling from the last wand was gone. She gripped it and then held it lightly even waving it around a bit, it felt good.

"It's very comfortable. Like this is the only wand I ever had." Ollivander nodded apparently very satisfied.

"Perfect, Minerva I suppose this one is on the school?" She nodded.

"We'll stop and eat something before we go on to the school." They went back to the Leaky Cauldron and some drinks and sandwiches, which she had happily ate. The hospitals food, though good, didn't have much variety. Then they flooed to Hogwarts, right into Minnie's private quarters apparently, she was led into the Gryffindors common room.

"Well I think we should both turn in early tonight, seeing as we have the first day of school ahead of us." She turned to leave. "Goodnight, Clarrissa."

"Minnie?" McGonagall turned around. "I can't call you that during class can I?"

"No, I'm afraid I might lose my reputation if you call me that." She let out a small laugh.

"Goodnight, Professor."

They both left to their respective beds and Clarrisa went up to the third year dorm and went to the bed that had a trunk, that contained her new clothes and school stuff, in front of it. She crawled under the covers, not even bothering to change out of the clothes she was wearing.

'Tomorrow everybody comes. I'll have to talk to Professor Dumbledore.' With thoughts of what tomorrow would hold she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

-Morning-

The sunlight drifted in through the windows and reluctantly Clary rolled over pulling the cover over her eyes groaned. After a few minutes she realized she wasn't going to get back to sleep and got out of the warm cozy bed.

Grabbing clothes, she went off to the showers. It felt good as the hot water washed over her, as if it was taking her troubles down the drain with it. She dried off, dressed, putting her hair in two long braids and letting her bangs fall into her eyes. She knew that the fashion and attitude of people had changed over the years and she wanted to do her best to fit in, which is why she had to talk to Dumbledore.

She walked down to the common room and glanced at the clock, 10:17! She must have been worn out from all that walking yesterday.

"I can't wait till I'm back to normal." She said to herself. She knew she missed breakfast so she made her way down to the painting of the fruit, where she knew the kitchen was. When she went inside she saw a few elves busy at work.

"Excuse me?" She asked timidly, not sure how they'd react. They all turned to her and started talking, the one closest to her started to push them back.

"Don't crowd her. Go back to work!" The small elf came up to her.

"What can I do for miss?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could have some toast, I overslept you see."

"Oh, of course! Miss can have as much toast as she pleases!" He turned grab some bread.

"I only need a few pieces, I expect lunch will be served in a couple hours so I don't want to over eat." She tried to be polite as possible she'd seen how some house elves tend to overreact.

"Of course, miss!" The elf came back with four pieces of buttered toast. "Would miss be needing anything else?" He looked up at her with hopeful eyes, wishing only to please.

"Not now, but thank you very much for the toast. You helped me out a lot." His eyes shined.

"Miss is very welcome! Miss is very kind!" She nodded a goodbye and left the large kitchen. Nibbling on her toast she walked the castle a bit, hoping to run into Minnie. She'd knocked on her door before she'd left and she hadn't answered.

She was nibbling her last piece of toast when she saw a tall man with black robes and hair walking down the hall. She hesitated for a moment before calling him out.

"Excuse me." The man turned and looked down at her, his expression blank. "Um, I was wondering if you could tell me where Min-Professor McGonagall is." He raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry to say that it is not my business to know Professor McGonagall's whereabouts every moment of the day." She looked at him, surprised.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just-"

"But if it is something that doesn't require McGonagall herself, than I may be of some help."

"It's not anything important," He stared down at her, his face still expressionless. "I just wondered if I could see Professor Dumbledore."

"As it happens I, myself, am on my way to see the Headmaster." He turned and started walking. "Come along." She did as told and followed him, only keeping a few feet between them.

They came to the statue and Snape stopped only for a second to say the password before marching right up and knocking on the door.

"Come in, Severus." How did he know who was there? Had they planned to meet?

Suddenly Clary felt very self conscious about interrupting their meeting.

"Clary! How did you sleep?"

"Very well, thanks."

"Splendid. Is there something you need?" He smiled that grandfatherly smile of his.

"It can wait if you two needed to talk." She said motioning to Snape.

"No, no, go ahead, my dear."

"Well, I just wanted to know what I should tell the other students if they ask where I'm from."

"Yes, it would cause quite the commotion if they knew where you were really from. How about we say you were home schooled? Tutored, perhaps? Yes, and your guardians went on a trip around the world and left your here in the care of Hogwarts. I think that's a rather good story. Yes that should work nicely." Around the world? Was that believable?

"Alright. But I still don't know a lot about this time. What should I do if I act strange."

"I dare say all children act strange, Clary. You have nothing to fear."

"Sir, but what if-"

"Clary, my dear, you can think of a thousand and four 'if's' but trust me when I say things have a way of working themselves out in the end. There's not enough time for you to suddenly learn everything that's happened in the last fifty years, but you can learn as you go. If something happens or someone says something your not sure about, I know your a smart girl and you can handle it your self." She smiled stood up.

"Thank you, headmaster."

"Anytime."

"Then I'll go now." She quickly left. Once she was safely in the hall she sighed.

"That was maddeningly unhelpful." She said to herself. "All he said was 'Well you can't do anything about it now, good luck not getting caught'!" Letting out another sigh she started walking the halls. After about 2 hours, it is a LARGE castle, she felt as if her shoes were made of lead. She slowly made her way to the common room, not feeling hungry at the moment. As she got to the painting she said the password.

"Merlins Shorts." One of the seventh year boys had come up with it.

"Wrong password." Said the lady. Then it dawned on her that that had been the password 50 years ago, she mentally groaned.

"I'm sorry but I don't know the current password. But that was a password at one time, won't you accept that?"

"No password, no entrance."

"Urg!" She looked at the Fat Lady and took a calming breath. "You know who I am and you know very well why I don't know the password. I would like to get to get in there and rest before the rest of the students come and even if I didn't need to rest I need to get changed. Now if you would please open up for me," The Fat Lady blinked and in a irritated voice murmured something along the lines of 'Fine' and 'kids being disrespectful.'

"Thank you very much." After she'd gotten into the common room she collapsed onto the couch. "Honestly, nothing seems to be going right today!" She closed her eyes and slept, which she seemed to be doing far to much of lately.

When she woke up again she immediately searched for the clock. Seeing the time she ran up to her dorm to change. Coming back down in record time she went for the door, glancing at the clock again.

"Seriously? How could I sleep until now? 4:17! I'm going to be late for the speech!" She ran as fast as she could down the steps to a portrait of a young woman wearing a beautiful silver dress and staring up at the clouds.

"I'm late I'm afraid, so I shall call apon your aid." The woman smiled and opened to a small passageway that led to the hall before the Great Hall, requiring only a rhyme. She was just glad it hadn't been moved.

When she came out to the other side she saw a large group of older students in their robes heading into the Great Hall. She stood there a moment and caught her breath from the running. She then quickly blended into the group and sat down at the Gryffindor table, making sure there was a few inches distance from her and the person next to her. The first years were sorted, Dumbledore announced that Hagrid would be part of the staff this year, teaching Care of Magical Creatures. She clapped, trying to keep herself from laughing, he'd almost knocked the table over because he was so nervous. For a moment Hagrid caught her eye but both of them immediately looked away, still a bit awkward. Then the feast began. The food appeared and the room filled with the excited shrieks of the first years and the happy chatting of the older kids. For a moment the whole thing felt almost normal, almost. Her friends weren't there, she didn't belong here. She was about to slip back into her little depressing mood when she heard someone 'psst' from the Slytherin table. She looked and saw some blond boy getting the attention of a dark haired boy, who was sitting almost across from her.

"Hey Potter, is it true, what they were saying on the train? That you fainted? I mean actually fainted?" The blond boy mocked. The dark haired boy, 'Potter' looked like he wanted to punch the blond, but a bushy brown haired girl put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just ignore him." He nodded and looked up, catching her staring. She immediately stared at her plate and started putting some food on it. But she still felt his gaze on her.

"Harry? Are you listening?" The bushy one asked him. "Do you know her?" She asked much quieter but Clary could still hear her.

"No."

"I don't recognize her either. She can't be any older than us, give or take a year."

"She looks..." He trailed off, lost in thought maybe?

"What? She looks what?"

"Nothing. Never mind." What the heck? She looked around for a second then realized that if she was sad no one was talking to her she might as well start the conversation.

"My names Clary."

"Sorry?" The bushy girl asked surprised at the sudden declaration.

"You wanted to know who I was. I'm Clary Jane." The girl blushed.

"Sorry, I'm Hermione Granger." Clary smiled a bit.

"I like your name, it's nice to meet you." A red haired boy who was sitting next to 'Potter' made a choking sound. But spoke with his mouth full.

"Who are you are anyways? I've never seen you."

"Ron!" Hermione scolded.

"Yes, well its my first year here at Hogwarts. My parents preferred to home school me rather then send me away.

"What changed?"

"Well my parents decided to...travel the world." She cringed at the, in her mind, terrible excuse. "It would be difficult to do that and teach me at the same time so they decided to let me attend Hogwarts."

"Cool." Said 'Ron' as he continued to stuff his mouth. Hermione just nodded in understanding. Had her excuse been so easily excepted? No, Potter was still staring at her.

"Well then your parents must be wizards then, if they home schooled you?" Hermione asked.

"Um, no. Only my m-father was a wizard. He hired a tutor for me though." Hermione looked like she was about to ask another question but Ron interrupted.

"I'v heard of purebloods doing that before, cause they don't want their kids to go to school with muggleborns or the like."

"Yes well my parents were a bit...overprotective." Wow this story was becoming easier to stick by.

"So their traveling the world? Thats cool, my family went to Egypt this summer! Wanna see the picture?" He was reaching for his pocket when a red headed girl a few seats down groaned.

"Ron, really? Not everyone needs to know where we've been! Fred and George are right, your starting to embarrass me!" His two friends laughed and Clary couldn't resist a smile either.

"Shut up." He said and went back to stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork.

"So you two are?" She asked seeing as they didn't seem like they were going to offer their names.

"I'm Ron Weasley." Said the Ron.

"I'm Harry Potter, nice to meet you." They seemed like normal kids to her.

"Pleasure to meet you both." The three of them looked at each other, seeming to exchange some silent conversation.

"What?" Ron shrugged.

"Nothing, just normally people have a different reaction when they hear Harry's name."

"Why it it weird?" Ron laughed and elbowed Harry.

"Yeah his name is about as weird as he is!" Harry jabbed back at him, while Hermione just rolled her eyes.  
"Have you ever heard of Harry Potter?" Hermione asked.

"Um, no. Should I have?" She realized that a lot of the people around them were staring at them. She quickly came up with an excuse. "Um, like I said my parents are overprotective, so I don't get out much." Everyone still seemed to be staring at her. She heard then whispering things like 'She doesn't know?' and 'Who is she?' or even 'Wheres she been for the last view decades?'. Oh if only they knew.

"You've heard of You-know-who, right?" Ron asked.

"Who?"

"You don't even know him! Talk about sheltered!"

"Ronald! Honestly!" Hermione leaned forward. "He's talking about a dark wizard that was on the rise about ten years ago."

"Hermione you don't have to tell the story." Harry said in a somewhat asking her not to and aggravated tone.

"But I want to know." She said quickly, Hermione nodded and continued.

"He had gained many followers and was killing any wizards and witches that were not pureblood. He was even terrorizing muggles. Harrys parents had been working with the light side and had fought him several times. He wasn't happy that they had been able to escape him alive so he went to their home one night and killed them. But when he tried to kill Harry something happened and he ended up destroying himself. Thats how harry got the scar on his forehead." As Hermione finished the tale Clarys eyes were focused on Harry, whose eyes were looking quite determinately at his plate.

"I'm sorry Harry."

"It's okay. I didn't even know the story till I started Hogwarts myself."

"So his name is You Know Who?" She asked trying to change the topic off death.

"Thats just what people call him. He's also known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." It sounded stupid.

"Thats stupid." She had a habit of sometimes voicing her thoughts with out thinking first. "In fact that sounds really stupid. Thats what I used to do when I was mad at someone when I was little. Refuse to acknowledge them. Act as if they weren't there or just never use their name. Whats his real name?" Hermione nodded in understanding.

"Thats just hows its been for so long." She leaned over the table and whispered, "His name is 'Voldemort'." Clarys eyes widened. "But don't say it to loud because some kids here have been trained to be very afraid of just the name. So-Clary? Whats wrong?"

"_After that he seemed to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness. He even fashioned him self a knew name, Voldemort."_

"I was wrong. I know that name."

"Thought so. There's not a wizard or witch, except for maybe the muggleborns, who don't know him." Ron declared as he grabbed a sweet.

"So, he's...dead?"

"Supposedly he hasn't appeared since that night. But there are some who think he's still out there." Hermione replied smartly. "Clary are you ok?"

"Yeah, um, just tired." It was the truth. She had suddenly lost all her appitie and instead gain the longing to crawl into bed and never leave again.

Voldemort had killed muggles, half bloods, muggleborns, and half breeds alike.

Voldemort was aiming for a new 'pure' world.

Voldemort had killed Harry's parents.

Voldemort was Tom Riddle.

One of her best friends.

Her best friend was dead.

This was WAY to much for a 64 year old to handle.

**End of chapter.**

**Please respond to these questions!- What do you think? She's supposed to be a bit shy and upset at first but then she'll get out of her shell, good personality? What about pairings? Friends(diffidently Luna!)? What should happen? I need ideas! (they may or may not be used but all will contribute to story! SO PLEASE REVIEW!) Thx for reading. Pls continue to follow my story. :D**


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